Machine for labeling spools



UNITED STATES AARON W. C. WILLIAMS OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR LABELING SPOOLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,312, dated July 10,1866.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, AARON W. C. WILLIAMS, ofthe city and county of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and Improved Machine for Labeling Spools; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full' and exact description thereof. l

It is common to apply a printed label to one end, and sometimes to bothends, of the small spools on which silk, cotton, Ste., are wound. Toeii'ect this by hand is a great labor. Machinery has been constructedfor the purpose, but all previous to mine has been very cornplicated andexpensive.

Figure l is a vertical section of a machine adapted for operating byhand, and showing two positions of the hand-lever-one position in greenand one in blue-the green being the one to which position the positionofthe other parts correspond. The green shows the position when it hasjust commenced to descend and turn the wheel. The blue shows theposition when it has just commenced to rise. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, showing the position of all theparts at the instant when the label is aiiixed. Fig. 4l is a front View,and Fig. 5 a planview, of the label-holder detached. 4

Similar letters of reference indicate likeparts in all the figures.

I will now proceed to describe what I consider the best mode of workingout my invention. v

A A, te., is the fixed framing which supports the several working partsof the mechanism. B is a wheel, which turns on a shaft supported in theramingA. There are recesses of any length required to contain a largenumber of spools, which are placed therein by hand or otherwise. i

D is a roller having a surface of elastic material, like the inking-rollof a printing-press. Its axis is supported in slots or grooves in theframing A. E is a roller which rests on the roller D. It may also bemade of elastic material, and is guided in the same slots as the rollerD. These rollers are supplied with adhesive gum or sizing, eitherconstantly or at intervals, by anyordinary means. (Not represented.) Theprincipal function of the roller E is to'properly distribute theadhesive material on the roller D.

Each recess t in the wheel B receives a spool from the trough C, and bythe rotation of the wheel carries the spool under the roller D, so thatits projecting end is covered with an adhesive coating.

Cr is a vertical tube having an internal diameter corresponding to thediameter ofthe spools to be labeled. This tube is provided with win gsG', which stand in vertical grooves in the framing A, as indicated inFig. 2.

A quantity of labels previously printed and cut by mechanism notrepresented must be introduced into the interior of the tube Cr with theprinted side up, and are pressed down by the weight H until thelowermost of the labels rests on the internal projections, g g, at thebase of the tube. These projections may be soldered or otherwise firmlyattached to the metal tube at the base, and they may be at-V tached atsome elevated points, as represented, but they should not be allowed tospring entirely out of the line of the interior of the tube.

The tube Gr and its connections are caused to rise and sink in thegrooves in the framing A, being. guided by the framing A. At eachdescent it presses the lowermost of the contained labels upon theadhesive surface of a spool, which is held directly beneath. Thelowermost label sticks to the spool, and on the rising of the tube Grand its connections the lowermost label is compelled to double itselfand distort its form suficiently to pass the internal projections, g g,while the remaining labels, being not thus drawn down, but heilig onlypressed down by their own gravity and that of the weight H, aresufficiently supported by the internal projections, g y, and areretained therewith. This process is repeated as each spool arrives atthe proper points.

I is a roller covered with elastic or other material, which pressessmoothly and evenly over the whole surfaceof the label and per fects thecontact of every part thereof with the adhesive surface of the spool.The spool finally falls out of the recess 't/by its gravity, and therecess is again presented to receive another spool.

J is a lever, which may be operated by hand or otherwise, and whichimparts the proper motions to the mechanism.

K is la spring-catch mounted on the lever J, and which is adapted toenter recesses in the wheel B, and compel a partial rotation of thatwheel at each descent ot' the lever J. The periphery of the wheel B isnot a perfect circle. The portions between the several notches orrecesses Z) are each inclined, as represented at B. I prefer to makeeach an arc of a circle struck from a center not coinciding with thecenter of the wheel B, but so near thereto as to give but a slightinclination to the surfaces B between the several notches, asrepresented.

The end ot' the arm J of the lever J is widened, as represented, and isinclined so as to lift the tube G and its attachments at each upwardmovement of the lever J. The. upward movement of the lever J is limitedby the contact of the stop j with the wing G. The descent of the lever Jis limited by the contact of the lever itself with some fixed portion ofthe machine, or with an adjustable screw or other gage. .(Notrepresented.)

During each rising movement of the lever J the inclined surface or endofthe arm J thereof comes in contact with the lower edge of one wing,G', and raises the tube G so as to lift it entirely out of the recessI), in which it had been previously resting. When the upward motion ofthe lever J is arrested by contact of the lever J with the side of thewing G the spring-catch K has dropped into one ofthe notches b. Duringthe descending movement of the lever J the spriiig-catch K retains itshold in the notch Z) and compels a partial revolution of the wheel B, soas to remove the spool which has just been labeled and present anotherunder the tube G. The early portion of this motion liberates the tube Gby ceasing to support the wing G on the arm J; but the tube G and itsattachments continue to be supported by reason of the contact of thelower edge ofthe wing G with the periphery of the wheel B. W'hen thelever J has completed its descending motion one of the notches b ispresented directly under the wing G', and the tube G and its attachmentsdescend rapidly. The descending motion, being` thus sudden, causes thelowermost label to be pressed upon the spool by the momentum as well asthe gravity ofthe descending weight H. The next ascending motion of thelever J again lifts the catch K. Its inclined surface enables it readilyto do so, and causes it to traverse along the periphery of the wheel Band seize the next succeeding notch b. Thus the operation continues, thetube G being lifted by the arm J entirely ont of the notch b before thecatch K comes into play to induce a movement of the wheel.

The periphery of the wheel B being not' circular, but divided intoinclined segments, as represented, allows the weight H to come down andstop the motion ot' the wheel B and its attachments at the right point,however rapidly the machine is worked. Were the periphery of the wheelentirely circular it would be possible to turn the wheel B so rapidlythat the gravity of the tube G and its attachments would not force thewing G down into the notch b in time to arrest its motion, and the wheelB and its attachments might continue to move by its momentum after themotion of the lever J had ceased.

It is frequently desirable to iix a label on each end of each spool. Todo this I can repeat the operation, substituting the proper labels inthe tube G and turning and placing` the spools in a reverse position inthe trough C; or I can connect a second machine by placing it a littlelower than the Iirst, and so ar ranged that its spout C shall receivethe spools as they are discharged from the recesses in the firstmachine.

I can employ a pawl mounted on the frame A and adapted to catch in thenotches b to prevent a reverse movement ot' the wheel B, but I have notfound such to be necessary.

I propose to employ spring-knockers on the wheel B, if desired, adaptedto be operated by contact with a suitable projection on the frame, so asto strike on the innermost end of each spool at the proper point tofacilitate the rapid delivery of the spools from the wheel. This is notimportant except where a machine is to deliver spools into the feedingdevice for another machine, and I have not therefore represented it. andapplied by any skillful mechanic. It 1s necessary simply to produce asuitable cavity in the wheel B under each ofthe cavities and to providea hammer and spring, which shall be out of the way during thatpart ofthe revolution in which the spool is received, gumnied, labeled, and thelabel smoothly rolled down, and shall be effective to deliver a smartrap on the spool and drive it forward at the point where it is desiredto deliver.

I prefer to make the upper side of the feeding device U capable ofyielding by a spring, (notrepresented,) so that injury will be avoidedin case a spool is only partially received in a cavity, This is notimportant, however, except when the machine is worked by power, as theincreased resistance will be felt and the lever J will be stopped whensuch derangement occurs in operating the machine by hand.

I do not confine myself: to the working of the machine with the labelingdevice G directly above the axis of the spool-carrier B. The simplestform of apparatus known to me is to provide for working the labelingdevice G, as also for pressing forward the rollers D and I, by gravity,as represented 5 but this is not absolutely necessary. These parts, asalso feeding of the spools, may be operated It will be easily understoodn the bottoms of the cavities i, so as to adapt the same machine toreceive and label spools of different lengths. I also propose to bushthe cavities it, so that by changing the bushings and changing thelabeling device I can make the same Wheel and the other mechanism serveto label spools of different diameters.

In case any difficulty is experienced from a tendency to lift the spoolout of the cavity it when the labeling device G rises, as may be thecase with stiff labels, I propose to introduce a spring bolted to across-bar so as to press against the end of the spool. I haverepresented these parts, L being a cross-bar and Mthe spring boltedthereon. The spring is pressed aside out of the Way at each descent ofthe labeling device G, but springs inward so as to meet the spool shouldit attempt to rise.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The recesses i@ in the carrier B, arranged relatively to the feeder Cand the roller D, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination of the carrier B, carrying the spools in succession,as specified, with the labeling device G,.adapted to present the labelsthereto, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The label-holder G, in combination with the mechanism represented, orits equivalent, for rendering its action automatic, substantially asherein specified. 4 i

4. The pressin groller I, in combination with the spool-carrier B,labeling device G, sizer l), and spool-feeder C, substantially as andfor the purpose herein specified.

5. The inclined surface J on the vibrating arm J, in combination withthe label-carrier G, spool-carrier B, and'recesses b, arranged asrepresented, so as to hold the spool-carrier firmly in position Whilethe label is applied, and liberate it by the retreat of thelabel-carrier to allow the succeeding spool to be presented,substantially as herein specified.

6. The catch K, in combination with the spool-carrier B, lever J, andlabel-carrier G,

-adapted to operate substantially as and for the puipose hereinspecified.

A. W. C. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

J. B. WARING, J. I. BRAINERD.

